When Parker Bros.’ Wonderful Game of Oz was described in the Wizard of Oz Collector’s Treasury as “one of the most visually satisfying Oz products ever published,” I nodded my agreement—vigorously. The game is really striking. Plus, it’s a game—and it’s a map of Oz covered with characters and places from the Oz books. It’s also lovely enough to frame. Who could ask for anything more?
I soon discovered there was far more to the game than I realized. There were variants to the way it was packaged, or example: at least four that I could spot. It was released in the US and Canada. The game markers, the rules, and the shakers all went through changes.
In the Spring 2018 Baum Bugle (arriving now in member mailboxes), Bill Thompson takes readers far beyond the superficial and delves into the details that define and distinguish the different copies of this game following its first appearance. While I contributed some content to this issue of the Bugle myself, I think this great piece by Bill is one the collector in me will most remember from our Spring 2018 issue.
